A man who paid off $24,000 of debt in 9 months says one of the most obvious strategies is also the most effective

Will Parker paid off
$24,000 of debt in nine months.Courtesy of Will Parker

Will Parker needed just nine months to dig his way out of $24,000
of debt.

It all started with
one easy step: He set aside $1,000, in case of an emergency
or unexpected big cost arose. With the buffer, he wouldn't have
to go into more debt to cover anything that might crop up.

However, what fast-tracked his path to becoming debt-free was a
strategy people tend to overlook: He started earning more
money.

"If you have a big hole, you need a big shovel," Parker tells
Business Insider. "If you have a small shovel, it's going to take
forever to fill that hole."

There are two ways to get a bigger shovel: Get a raise or find an
additional stream of income.

Parker did both.

Conveniently, around the same time he got serious about paying
down his debt, he got a raise, but the timing is beside the
point: "If you work your butt off, you get paid more money," he
says.

Additionally, Parker found ways to earn more. As he
told Simple, "I did whatever I could to get extra
money. I do a little website design on the side. It's an easy way
to make some extra money."